Male teens and boys using women’s bathrooms, change rooms outrage in China reveals lack of sex and gender education, experts say
- Experts say a lack of sex education and understanding of single-gender spaces is behind the common practice of older boys and teenagers using women-only spaces
- China has few unisex bathrooms and as a result, parents are often forced to choose between accompanying the child or leaving them unattended
A claim that some mothers in China take their sons, some of whom are teenagers, into female bathrooms and change rooms has sparked heated discussion online.
Many people have commented that they have had similar experiences with young men and boys in public female changing rooms and toilets.
The online debate blew up after a popular female rights blogger shared a complaint from another woman earlier this week that several mothers often brought their sons, aged 10 and above, to use the women’s bathroom at her community swimming pool. The boys even showered with their mothers according to the complaint.
The woman said she was once gawked at by one of the boys which made her feel angry and humiliated. When she complained to the swimming pool staff she was told that the boy was “too young” and they could do nothing to “discipline” him.
The boy’s mother said “kids don’t understand” and went on to mock her by saying “only you are so precious that you can’t be stared at”.
The woman did not have a picture of the incident but said it was an ongoing issue. The name of the swimming centre was not revealed to protect the identity of the boy.